Fresh oats are so different from ‘quick oats’, which are much thinner and broken up to help them cook so quickly; and while these are a convenient time saver they don’t have the flavour of traditional oats. I admit I have succumbed to making a dish of traditional oats in the microwave but my resolve is not to take this shortcut here as the relatively short cooking time on the stove top makes a world of difference to the quality of the porridge. From a flavour perspective, the prunes soaked overnight in orange juice are the icing on the cake, but if you buy really plump pitted prunes you can use them without gilding the lily at all and just add them at the last moment.
Ingredients
- 250 g pitted prunes
- ¾ cup (180 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1¾ cups (155 g) organic rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons linseeds
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds
- Pinch of sea salt flakes
- 2 tablespoons macadamia oil
- 2 cups (500 ml) water or milk (cow’s milk, soy milk or nut milk)
- 3 tablespoons coconut cream
- Toasted flaked almonds, to serve
How to Make It
- Soak the prunes overnight in the orange juice.
- The following morning, combine the oats, seeds, sea salt, oil and water or milk in a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring, over medium heat for 8–10 minutes or until thick and cooked. Stir in the coconut cream, then divide evenly among 4 bowls. Top with the soaked prunes and toasted almonds and serve.